NHTSA Complaint #11191749 — 2010 RAM 1500

WHEN I STARTED THE TRUCK MONDAY MORNING AND PUT IT IN DRIVE, IT WENT STRAIGHT INTO FOURTH GEAR. I THOUGHT I HAD ACCIDENTALLY PUT IT IN MANUAL MODE, SO I TURNED IT OFF AND RESTARTED IT. IN THE DRIVE POSITION IT WOULD ONLY OPERATE IN FOURTH GEAR. AFTER A LITTLE RESEARCH I DISCOVERED ITS CALLED LIMP MODE AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE CULPRIT IS THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT SOLENOID, SOMETIMES CALLED THE RANGE SENSOR, PART NUMBER 68353383AB. I HAD TAKEN IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT?S WHAT THE CULPRIT WAS, BUT IF I WAS GOING TO REPLACE IT I MIGHT AS WELL REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION...$2800. NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD THIS, (NOR DID I THINK IT WAS NEEDED), I CALLED ADVANCED AUTO WHO ORDERED A SOLENOID PACK FOR ME, BUT IT WAS THE WRONG ONE, (4800171AA). THAT?S WHEN I CALLED CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE OFF 295 IN JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA. [XXX] GIVE ME THE CORRECT PART NUMBER, LET ME KNOW THAT IT WAS A SPECIAL ORDER, AND THAT THEY WERE ONLY ALLOWED TO ORDER FIVE A WEEK AND IT WOULD TAKE 5 TO 7 DAYS TO COME IN. I SAID THAT SEEMED ODD AND ASKED IF THERE WAS AN ISSUE. HE SAID LET ME LOOK, AND THAT?S WHEN HE TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE FIXING 640 OF THESE A WEEK NATIONWIDE, BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL. HOW IS THAT SO? I WAS LUCKY IN THAT MY ISSUE HAPPENED IN/ON MY OWN DRIVEWAY/STREET WHERE I COULD BACK UP AND FIGURE OUT A PLAN. BUT I HAVE READ WHERE THIS IS HAPPENING TO PEOPLE AS THEY ARE OUT AND ABOUT WITH NO WARNING. DANGEROUS OR NOT, OVER 33,000 REPAIRS IN A YEARS TIME SEEMS TO BE AT RECALL LEVEL. THE PART FROM DODGE IS $460 PLUS ABOUT 7 GALLONS OF TRANSMISSION FLUID AND A TRANSMISSION KIT, SO OVER $500 AND A HOT MESS IF YOU?RE WILLING TO TACKLE IT YOURSELF. ADD 2-4 HOURS SHOP LABOR AT $60-$100/HR PLUS SHOP SUPPLIES AND MOST OF YOUR DAY OR MULTIPLE DAYS (EITHER WAY) IF YOU'RE NOT WILLING OR ABLE TO MAKE THE REPAIR. THIS DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT, PLEASE INVESTIGATE. THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *CC *TR